ABC Working on Live Streaming App That Could Steal Hulu’s Thunder

The Walt Disney Co. and its subsidiary ABC are still figuring out what they will do with Hulu, but in the meantime the company has a new app in the works that could make the online streaming service appear old-fashioned.

The new app will live-stream ABC programming to smartphones and tablets, reports The New York Times.

That means subscribers could watch "Good Morning America" on a tablet while waiting in line for coffee, the story notes. The app may become available later this year, although it would only be available for people who pay for cable or satellite.

Disney already has similar live streaming and on-demand apps for ESPN and Disney Channel, but the ABC app has special issues because of contracts between the network and some production companies, the story notes. That’s due to contracts that were signed before mobile phone video streaming was possible.

Local ABC stations also need to be involved, as they might feel threatened if they’re not "courted properly," the story says. The network has started to talk with stations about how to include them, the piece notes.